Visiting Brazil

Rio Taxis

Rio de Janeiro airport taxis are a great way of getting to and from your flight to Brazil. There are several kinds of taxis you can take, including pre-paid airport taxis and yellow taxis.

Pre-paid Rio de Janeiro airport taxis are a good way to ensure that you know how much you will pay for your ride. You can either book online in advance and pay upon booking, or go to a counter in the arrivals hall in the airport to pay for your taxi to receive a voucher.

Pre-paid taxis are usually nicer cars than yellow taxis, and visitors don’t have to worry about the driver tampering with the meter to overcharge them. However, almost all pre-paid airport taxis in Rio are more expensive than even the most tampered with yellow taxi meter. Rates vary depending on your final destination in the city center, but most pre-paid taxis cost R$100.

Yellow taxis can be found outside of the arrivals hall at both airports in Rio. Make sure that your driver uses a meter, but expect to pay anything from R$40 to R$100 from GIG or R$15 to R$40 from Santos Dumont if your final destination is Copacabana Beach or Ipanema. Prices vary widely due to drivers fixing their meters and rates going up at night and for the month of December, but you will almost always still pay less than you would pay with a pre-paid taxi. Make sure to have cash, as drivers do not take credit cards. There are ATMs in the airports if you need them.

There is one taxi company in Rio that charges a flat R$40 for a Rio de Janeiro airport taxi going from the city to GIG airport. It is called Aerocoop and you must call them to reserve a taxi at that price and have a coupon to hand to the driver when you are picked up. Usually coupons are only available from drivers that have taken you from GIG to your hotel in Rio, so if you get lucky, you may find one.

Avioes

Here are a few tips on transiting and customs at Sao Paulo Airport (GRU) in Brazil.

If you’re transiting to another flight at Sao Paulo Airport, you will not need to clear customs and immigration.

For example, if you’re flying from Sao Paulo to Buenos Aires, you don’t need to go through customs in Brazil at all.

This is great if you’re short on time.

On the down side, the airport is pretty boring.

There are a lot of shops but nothing really exciting, so bring reading material.

There is a United Red Carpet Club in Sao Paulo Airport too.

You might want to consider buying a one day pass at the counter for less than US$50 if you have a few hours to spend in Sao Paulo Airport.

You can go inside the lounge to shower and get free drinks. Not a bad deal.

Rio Street

When you arrive in Brazil, you have several options for airport transfers in Rio de Janeiro.

Flights to Brazil from other countries land at the main GIG airport, which is officially named Galeao Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport. Some domestic flights also land there. This airport is located to the north of the Rio de Janeiro city center, but is easily accessible by taxi or bus.

Alternately, there is the Santos Dumont airport in the city center, which is near Guanabara Bay. This is the domestic airport in Rio de Janeiro. It is mostly serviced by Brazilian low cost airlines like TAM and GOL. Airport transfers are available between the two airports in Rio.

An air-conditioned bus service departs every 30 minutes and runs between both airports and further to Zona Sul along the beachfront in Copacabana, Ipanema, and Leblon. It continues on to Barra da Tijuca. A single ticket costs around R$8. These buses often run late, so it is best to take them from the airport to your hotel and not the other way around.

Taxis, though more expensive, are also a convenient way to do airport transfers in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They are reliable for reaching the main tourist areas in Rio de Janeiro. A taxi ride from Rio’s GIG airport to Rio’s southern beaches will cost from R$40 to R$100. Many yellow taxi drivers tamper with their meters and prices go up at night and in December, so prices vary greatly. Make sure to get reals in the airport since taxis do not accept credit cards.